Hollow-structured Zn-doped CeO2 mesoporous spheres boost enhanced antioxidant activity and synergistic bactericidal effect.

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is regarded as one of the worst threats to the environment and global health, and antimicrobial nanomaterials have been increasingly explored to provide solutions for antimicrobial resistance problems. In this paper, mesostructured Zn-doped CeO₂ hollow spheres (ZDCHS) with various Zn/Ce ratios were successfully prepared by a conventional one-pot hydrothermal synthesis method. The ingenious incorporation of Zn playing a vital role in the fabrication of hollow structure of ZDCHS with high specific surface area, and detailed transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization confirmed the homogeneous distribution of Zn element across the ZDCHS. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman results indicated that a higher concentration of oxygen vacancies was obtained on the ZDCHS compared to the undoped CeO₂ counterparts. In addition, the in vitro antioxidant properties evaluated toward scavenging DPPH radicals, hydroxyl radicals and superoxide radicals further revealed the enhanced antioxidant activity of ZDCHS derived from the doping with Zn ions. Furthermore, the bacteriostatic assay against Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive (S. aureus) bacteria showed that the ZDCHS possessed synergistically improved bacteriostatic performance and were more susceptible to S. aureus with a maximal antimicrobial ratio of 99.5 %, which is higher than that of the undoped CeO₂ samples (80.7 %). These results represent a new paradigm to the design of novel hollow-structured materials, highlighting the doping of Zn ions in the lattice structure of CeO₂ provides a feasible means for the preparation of effective antioxidants and antimicrobial agents.